*PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO REVIEW OR PM ME ABOUT ANYTHING, IT REALLY HELPS ME WRITE
*Author's note: Mutants are like X-men universe mutants. They look like regular people with abilites, but can have physical anomalies too, depending on their mutation.
*Rated M only for certain scenes and some coarse language. Honestly, most of it is just fluff though.
"Tell me it's not true!" she screamed, running into the Council chambers. A few of the council members who had their backs to her turned to face her with startled expressions. "Please," she pleaded, staring directly at the woman dominating the head of the table.
The Commander stared back, her expression neutral. She let out a low sigh; as if she had been expecting this. She turned to the elderly man at her right and whispered something to him. He immediately stood up and signalled to the other council members to follow. They filed out of the room like ants fleeing a hole as the woman and the girl continued to stare at each other in silence. Neither said a word until they heard the chamber door bang shut. The girl was the first to break the silence.
"How could you do this to me?" she asked, staring accusingly at the woman with piercing emerald eyes.
The Commander let out another sigh, massaging her temples with her fingers.
"Kayden, is this really necessary?"
"Necessary?" she gasped. "You're forcing me into an arranged marriage and you're asking me if this is necessary?"
The woman let out another sigh. Her blue eyes, usually sharp with intelligence and cunning, softened as they turned on the girl. "We had no choice." She pronounced every word.
"You had a choice. You could have said no," Kayden stated unflinchingly.
"We need this alliance, Kayden. You know that."
"And there was no other way? No deal? No compromise?"
"This was the compromise."
"But why me?" Kayden pleaded. "Plenty of council members have children. Why me?"
At this, the Commander rose from her seat and began pacing, her hands clasped firmly behind her back.
"Because it was your parents wish that if a deal were ever to be brokered with the humans, that you would be the one to do it."
"I don't think this is what they had in mind," Kayden growled.
"No," she turned towards the girl. "But it's what they wanted."
"What? For me to be sold like cattle?"
"For you to be safe."
Kayden stared defiantly back at her, but remained silent.
"This alliance is risky no matter how we approach it," she started slowly. "But if it should go south, then you will be safest at the heart of it. Once you're one of theirs, they'll protect you."
"I don't want protection. I don't need it," Kayden spat.
"Nevertheless, you will have it. You are the strongest mutant to be born in generations, Kayden. And despite what you might like to believe, you can be killed. I won't allow that to happen. So, like it or not, you will be protected at all costs. And this is how its done." At the last sentence the Commander turned, heading back towards her seat at the head of the council.
"What if I refuse,?" Kayden said quietly. She raised her voice and continued. "What if I run?"
The woman turned to stare at her once again and looked right back into her fierce green eyes.
"I can't stop you. But if we fail to present you to them then they will assume we didn't uphold our end of the bargain. There won't be another chance like this. The alliance will break, and we will have no choice but to go to war."
"Then go to war!" Kayden shouted, her self-control slipping momentarily. She regained her composure and spoke in a deadly serious tone. "I am a warrior. Not a wife. I would fight to the death for our people."
"I know you would. But it's not just you. You think we can contain this kind of warfare?" For the first time, the Commander displayed an emotion other than indifference. "Civilians will die too. Children. Is that really what you want?"
Kayden exhaled solemnly. "You know it's not," she answered in a low voice. The fight drained out of her and her shoulders sagged in defeat.
The sight of the girl in such despair caused the Commander's formal façade to fade. She approached Kayden and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry it had to be like this. If there were any other way…" She left it at that and returned to her Commander's chair. She called to the council members waiting outside the chamber, prompting them to return to session.
Kayden stalked out of the room and heard the many voices of the council rise up again in heated discussion before the chamber door closed behind her.
The council was debating about food supply when a messenger quickly darted to the Chancellor's side and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened excitedly and the rest of the council quieted as she thanked the messenger, who then backed out of the room.
She cleared her throat, demanding silence, but the chamber was already quiet.
"We've heard from the Mutant Commander," Chancellor Abby announced.
"And?" Kane asked on behalf of the rest of the council, all eager for the news.
"Commander Grimelda has agreed to our proposal. She's chosen a bride to bring forth to the Alliance." At this, Abby surveyed the room, silently hoping that someone would say something before she had to continue. The room was silent. Then Councilman Jaha spoke.
"It seems you have a decision to make, esteemed Chancellor." While Thellonius had by now accepted the fact that Abby was to remain Chancellor for the foreseeable future, the tinge of condescension in his voice was unmistakable.
Abby scowled at Jaha disapprovingly. While small silent clashes such as these were commonplace among the council, she never took kindly to being undermined.
"I won't choose someone to do this. Not until we've properly canvassed for a possible volunteer," she finally retorted.
When no one offered a solution, she scanned the faces of the various council members, hoping to prompt a response. The room remained silent. The Chancellor sighed.
"Councilman Sykes," she turned towards the feeble man and attempted a smile. "You have a son of age, don't you?"
The Councilman squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Yes. Yes I do," he stammered.
No further response was offered and Abby was forced to continue questioning.
"And, would Garrett be… " she tried to choose her next word carefully. "Interested?"
"I can ask," Sykes squeaked.
Abby sighed once more before directing a forced smile at the sweating Councilman and nodding understandingly.
"Would anyone else care to-"
"I'll do it."
Gasps broke out among the council as all turned to face the direction the voice came from. Abby turned as well to see whomever had spoken. There was silence in the room as all waited to see what would happen next. And then…
"Bellamy?" Clarke broke the silence, the disbelief in her voice audible.
The Chancellor jumped in before more could be said, more useless rhetoric exchanged. "You wish to marry this girl? To forge the alliance with the mutants?"
Bellamy had stood up when he spoke. He looked at Clarke briefly before responding to the Chancellor's question. Clarke's eyes pleaded with him. She shook her head at him almost imperceptibly, but remained silent. He turned to face Abby.
"We need this alliance, right? I'm of age. Unattached. I have influence in this council. I volunteer." He spoke with cold logic, not the slightest trace of emotion or hesitation in his voice.
While Abby allowed Clarke and Bellamy to sit in on certain council meetings out of respect to their undeniable leadership skills, she had never expected anything to come of it. Especially not something like this. The Elders of the Ark were silent and here was young Bellamy, offering a solution which no other council member could. She didn't know what to say. The tone of formality slipped from her voice, for this wasn't some councilman she had to lull with bombastic flattery. He was a kid.
"Are you sure?" She asked casually with a twinge of doubt, angling her head in a questioning manner.
Bellamy stared at his feet for a moment, silently contemplating what he was about to say. When he looked back up at her, there was no doubt in his eyes. He spoke firmly. "Yes," he said. "I'll do it."